S.Korea, India to mark independence struggle through art

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) As part of South Korea-India cultural exchange, an exhibition marking 100 years of the first display of Korean anti-colonial resistance will open in Delhi, and a show on Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March will travel to a South Korean museum next year.

The exhibition "100th Anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement: One Shiny Day", commemorating the spirit of the March 1st Movement - pioneering display of anti-colonial sentiment against its coloniser Japan - will open at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) on August 14 and will continue till September 29.

Notably, the entire Korean Peninsula was under Japanese occupation for 35 years from 1910-1945 because the Korean War (1950-53) separated it into North and South.

On March 1, 1919, the movement was joined by people from different walks of life regardless of their region, status and wealth, hinting at the people's will for independence at home and abroad.

The upcoming show will display art inspired by the North-South divide, the Korean War refugees, downfall of Korean imperialists, and the first freedom struggle and people's solidarity.

The exhibition will also celebrate 15th August, which is the Independence Day of both India and Korea - North and South.

"The exhibition presents the underlying theme of the sorrow and restoration of South Korea that has similar modern history to India. I hope the artworks promote mutual understanding and shared values of both people of India and Korea," Shin Bong-kil, South Korea's Ambassador to India, said.

To deepen the Korea-India friendship through shared culture, NGMA's in-house curated exhibition on Gandhi's 'Salt March' in Dandi, will open next year at Daegu Art Museum in Daegu, South Korea.

The show of sculptures, paintings, sketches and art installations, will signify the non-violent independence movements of both Indian and Korean people.

The multimedia exhibition "Dandi Yatraa" is part of the year-long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi and can be currently viewed at NGMA here.